


Love and Confusion

by thatgirlwhowrites



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, Mutual Pining, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 09:26:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14210148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatgirlwhowrites/pseuds/thatgirlwhowrites
Summary: "I need you to know..I love you.I'm in love with you,Jug.""Oh."Or,when his life long friend Betty confesses her love for him,Jughead is forced to introspect his own feelings.[An AU in which Betty and Jughead never dated in Season 1.Inspired by One Tree Hill's Lucas and Peyton.]





	Love and Confusion

"There's something I have to tell you." Betty says,pacing her room like she does when she's nervous. 

"Is everything alright,Betts?" Jughead asks,standing up too.

"I love you,Jughead." She says,sounding anxious,although he's unsure why.

He smiles."I love you too,Betty.I mean,we've been through so much together -"

She interrupts him,shaking her head."You don't,you don't understand.I've been holding this in for a really long time and I need you to know..I love you.I'm in love with you,Jug."

"Oh." He says lamely,watching her face fall at his dumb reply.

 

 

" _Oh_?Betty Cooper,the girl you've been mooning over for God knows how long told you she loves you and you said oh?!" Sweet Pea questions,looking exasperated.

He scratches the back of his neck and says,for the hundredth time,"It's complicated.And she caught me by surprise! What was I supposed to say?"

"Not "oh".Okay,what else did you say?"

"I mumbled something about us being friends and got the hell of out of there." He admits,making a face.

"And you really believe that?That you're just friends?" 

He doesn't know.He's not sure he _wants_ to know. "I - I mean,Betty's just confused.She's had a rough year and I happened to be there to save her a few times."

"Nah,man,then maybe you're the one who's confused.'Cause you didn't just happen to rescue her a few times.You didn't just _happen_ to run through The Sisters with her that day or save her from psycho Chic.Betty happened to be there,but you chose to be there.So maybe you oughta think about that."

Sweet Pea leaves after that,always one for dramatics,leaving Jughead alone with his thoughts and more confused than ever.

 

The next week passes by in a blur,with no contact from Betty.Their graduation day is fast approaching and Jughead doesn't think he'll ever _miss_ Riverdale High,but still.They weren't all bad memories.

It's the day before the Big Day that he gets the surreal news that shakes him to his core.One of the many publishing houses he sent a manuscript to is actually interested,and wants to present him with an offer.

He wants to tell Betty.He picks up his phone,his thumb hovering over her name in his contacts; he can almost hear the gratified laugh she'd give,can picture her voice too,saying almost smugly,"Congratulations,Juggie. I told you this would happen - you had nothing to worry about." since the one thing Betty Cooper loves most is being proven right. (Because she has,in fact,told him that several times: Everytime he has received a rejection letter,she had been there with a burger,reassuring smile and encouraging words that somehow always managed to bolster his confidence.)

He sighs and throws his phone across the bed.

 

 

As soon as he walks through the doors of Riverdale High,he's all but tackled into a hug.

"Jug! I can't believe you got a publishing contract." Toni exclaims,pushing her hair back from where it's falling into her mouth.

"Trust me,neither can I." He returns dryly,patting her on the back.

She pulls back,her gaze straying to Betty,who is standing off to the side with her mom.Alice is smoothing down non-existent wrinkles on her graduation gown and he can tell by Betty's expression,even from all the way across the hallway,that she's suppressing an eye roll.

She looks beautiful,he thinks absently.She always does,at least in his opinion,but she's wearing her down for the occasion and well,he's always preferred it that way.

"This is a dream come true,you know." Toni's voice pulls him out of his thoughts."Who do you want standing next to you?" She asks knowingly,watching comprehension dawn on Jughead's face.

She smiles and pats his arm."Go,you idiot."

 

 

His graduation day goes as expected; although,he supposes,nobody had expected him to graduate so that's a bit of a juxtaposition.All the typical things happen: Weatherbee gives a speech that nobody pays attention to,Betty gives her valedictorian speech - it's perfect,of course,both sweet and thoughtful without being pretentious - and the next thing he knows,student's names are being called to come on stage.

He waits impatiently for his turn,willing the ceremony to go by faster.Now that he's accepted his feelings for Betty,he's filled with a desperate need to make them known to her.His leg bounces nervously in his seat but he seems to lack the control to make it stop.Veronica gives him an unimpressed glare but doesn't comment on it; he guesses he's been granted this pardon because Betty filled her in on what happened between them.

When his name is finally announced,he grimaces at being called Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Third and walks up the stairs.He shakes hands with the principal,collects his diploma and is abruptly struck by the thought of _I wish Mom,Dad and JB were here_.But then Archie cheers loudly,breaking the moment and he forces a smile,swallows the sudden lump in his throat and races back down the stage.

 

 

Betty turns as he approaches,smiling warmly."Hey,Jug.I heard the good news,congrats! I'm really proud of -"

"Betty,it's you." He admits,interrupting her.

Her confusion is written all over her face."What?"

"It's you.The one I want next to me when all my dreams come true,it's you."

He steps closer to her,placing his hand on her cheek apprehensively and tracing it with his thumb when she doesn't pull back.

"It's you,Betty." He repeats and watches her face split into a grin.He moves even closer,desperate to feel her lips against his own.

She places a hand on his shoulder,halting his movement.She bites her lip and says,her voice very quiet,"Just - are you sure? I don't want you to say something you don't mean to spare my feelings,or,I don't know -"

He cuts her off for the second time today,this time with a loud sigh."Betts,I will never not regret making you think that I don't have feelings for you,or that I'm not in love with you just because of what a fucking coward I am.Because I do.And I am."

Her entire face lights up,her eyes glossy with unshed tears.She stands on her toes and connects their mouths in the softest of embraces.

Suddenly it's as if the echo of the speakers,the roar of the crowd are all sounding from a thousand miles away and what remains in that bizarre,muffled silence is only Betty.The girl whose kindness,passion and beauty have changed his life.In that moment,his triumph is not a book deal,but simple clarity.The realisation that they have always been meant for each other and every instinct to the contrary had simply been a denial of the following truth - he is now,and will always be,in love with Betty Cooper.

**Author's Note:**

> First things first: Just so we’re all clear,like the summary says,this fiction is majorly inspired by a certain One Tree Hill plot - and it features quotes from the show which have been altered to fit into this universe that I do NOT claim ownership of.  
> I hope you guys found this to be a fun read; please leave a comment if you did!


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